I am very pleased to be able to announce a milestone that we have all reached for the Bart Ehrman Blog. As of this week, we have surpassed the $100,000 mark in funds raised. This is a great moment for us. It has taken us only two years and a few days.

As probably all of you know, the blog was originally conceived, designed, and begun as a way to raise money for charities dealing with hunger and homelessness. Every penny raised from the membership fees and donations go directly to the four charities that the Bart Ehrman Foundation supports (I’ll say something about the four in a moment). I myself pay all the administrative costs of the blog as part of my contribution. My technology and media assistant, Steven Ray of Innovative Design, who designed and setup my website, blog and YouTube channel, keeps the show running — it would be literally and completely impossible without him — and he often provides me with a serious discount for his services as part of his contribution. Together, all of us participating in the blog have had remarkable and considerable success. My hope is that things will continue only to get better.

I do enjoy posting and interacting with people on the blog. I see it as a way of getting important knowledge about the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the history of early Christianity out to non-scholars, and as a forum for people to express their own views and ideas through the comments. But to be completely honest – as I have been before! – if it were not for the fact that the blog raises money for charity, I absolutely, no-way-in-world, positively would not do it. It is way too much work, and I have so many other things that I want and need to be doing with my time. If other things were equal – and they are not! – I would prefer spending the hours I put into the blog on my own research and writing.

But the positive feedback I receive from all of you makes it worth it, as does, in particular, the fact that we are doing such great things for charity. That’s ultimately what keeps me going at it, and I have no plans, designs, or intentions to stop any time soon. I am still posting five or six times a week, usually around 1000 words a day, on topics of mutual interest, and anticipate doing more of the same for the forseeable. I haven’t yet run out of things to talk about. And when I do, then none of you will remember what I said years ago anyway…. 🙂

When I started the blog my intention was to support four charities, two that were more “local” and two that were more international. I continue to support all four, and no others. But I do not support them all equally; I have become a big *especially* for the most local of the four charities (UMD, listed first below), both because (a) this is where I live and I want to do the most I can for people in need in my community and (b) it is an unusually effective, efficient, creative, dedicated, and inspiring organization. But I am fully committed to the others as well, and think that it’s important to be concerned with the whole world, so far as we can be.

As a refresher, these are the charities that the blog supports:

• The one nearest and dearest to my heart is the Urban Ministries of Durham, which is the agency that deals with hunger and homelessness in my own locale. It is an absolutely amazing “ministry” (it is not religious in anyway; the term is used in the secular sense),. Anyone interested in seeing what a local organization can do, and do brilliantly, should check out their work at http://umdurham.org/ — and please, donate some money!

• The other “local” is a terrific agency that deals with food distribution to the needy throughout my part of the state, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. They do an amazing job; the logistics sometimes boggle the mind. You can see what they are about at http://www.foodbankcenc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FBCENCHome

• CARE. An international charity, dealing with heart-rending problems with dignity and integrity: http://www.care.org/

Many, many thanks to all of you for paying your membership dues, and many more thanks on top of all that to those of you who have been generous in making additional donations to the blog, and especial thanks to those of you who have donated much. May your tribe increase! It is what keeps me committed and eager to do the blog, and I consider myself deeply in your debt.

Comments

Thanks, Bart. Coincidentally I got the automatic renewal notice from the blog last night. I’m delighted to get intellectual stimulation from your work and also to be able to contribute to the charities that you are supporting.

I’ve suggested fewer posts, but the readers on the whole seem to prefer 5-6/week. And I’ve asked other scholars a number of times, but almost never is anyone interested!! I guess we’re all too busy as it is.

Bart, I love you and all of your work; it has changed who I am, and even if you quit blogging, I will never forget. My vote is for less work for you. I’m happy with one or two posts a week. I’m busy too, and I think you should take some time for yourself. :-).

Thanks for all of your work. It Is an amazing blog. I follow about 20 or so blogs on the subject of religion and yours is by far the best. The $100,000 is incredible! It is also clear that you enjoy posting and interacting although it is a lot of work. I think your new book may be the most important and original of your trade books, but it is a little more complicated and nuanced than the others and one has to really study it and devote some time to it. Thanks again for your many and varied contributions on this subject. I remain partial to “Misquoting Jesus” and “Jesus Interrupted.”

Great! And thanks a lot for everything. Even though you’re ‘only’ doing it for the money, in a sense (I know it’s for charity :)), I really think this is very interesting and valuable work, on a lot of levels.

Wonderful! I’m learning a lot here, finding it a terrific experience. I’m delighted that the blog is raising enough money for those great charities to induce you to keep doing it.

I think I’m the opposite of you in one sense. I tend to donate when there are catastrophic floods or the like, anywhere in the world – because then I feel confident (given that I’ve donated through a reputable charity) that the money really is going somewhere it’s needed. Locally, we hear so much about welfare fraud that it’s hard to know whom to trust. The local charities are doubtless on the up-and-up, but the same can’t always be said of the recipients.

One Time Donation to Foundation

Since April 2012, the blog has raised over $300,000 for charity. You can help too! Any one-time donation to the Bart Ehrman Foundation helps Bart’s select charities fight hunger and homelessness. The optional form on the right allows reoccurring donations of your preferred limit and choice!

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